wastewater operator

excavator operator

plant superintendent

waste water operator

laborer

Aquatech-Canadian-Water-Services-Inc

I joined Aquatech with high hopes but was soon disappointed & disillusioned. The Operational Management was poor, jobs were not planned adequately and there was a lot of wasted time and effort.

Upper Management do not have a clear understanding of the trades, either the resource required or the tools needed for the job. There was no clear tool policy, no real understanding of how long tasks took or how many tradesmen would be needed for a job. 

The lack of commitment to Health & Safety from Upper Management was a huge shock and there were some downright dangerous practices such as refusal and inability to lock out in line their LO Policy.  Response from Upper Management to safety concerns  was, if Aquatech didn’t do the job, then someone else would. The Health & Safety Officer was helpful but fighting an uphill battle against management. There was a disconnect between Head Office policies and the Alberta policies which was confusing and frustrating

The overall culture felt toxic and despite the label of ‘family feel’, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. The truth was that the tradesmen were treated as commodities that they could do what they wanted with. Despite being a Water Infrastructure business, I was seconded to a food manufacturing plant because there was not enough work, I was told my hours would change and I would have to work Saturdays despite having a young family. The handling of this was the final straw for me.  

This isn’t a good organization for Tradesmen, I’d steer clear. 

Aquatech is a company that takes on water and wastewater treatment contracts from a variety of clients. In the pursuit of taking as many clients as they can, they stretch their workforce thin to the point of absurdity.

My experience there "training" was shadowing another operator for a few short days before being left to manage each site on your own. Outside of the basics, more technical aspects of each site are often overlooked and new employees must figure out how to operate them on their own. This can become a problem down the road when a major equipment malfunction occurs and the operator isn't even aware of how to identify the problem, let alone fix it.

Management was the most hostile of any job I worked at. It made it difficult to reach out if there were questions, and they do not make accomodations for health issues. Some clients they picked up were over 2 hours away; there often isn't enough time to commute and do your job in the 8 hours. When I was there, they were very strict about paying overtime. Much of your commuting time would be left unpaid.

Additionally, Aquatech does not service its fleet of vehicles. They will force operators to drive their assigned vehicles until it literally breaks down on the highway. 

Overall, this company has an abysmal work environment and does not value their employees.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Very disorganized. Management knows nothing about the jobs in ontario. They smoke weed in the office and bungle their contracts which creates a toxic work environment. Do not work for them in Ontario or you will regret it. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Your work is never good enough. They mismanage budgetary aspects forcing workers to work extended hours daily. They will change your schedule without notice and want you to work 14 days straight to hit their target numbers that are unrealistic.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
You work away from home and they want you to share rooms. You will spend every single moment with your coworker and since the actual work is bad (staring at fecal matter all day) nobody sticks around long. It is wet and cold and the work equipment they provide is unacceptable for the conditions.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Your expected to work 10 hour shifts. They won't pay your travel to work sites and the lodging they book is often an hour away from your work site. So with an unpaid lunch you are will be there 12.5 hours a day. The company is oblivious to proper breaks as you often have to travel 10+min each way to get to a bathroom because the work is remote.

Attending remote sites for water and wastewater operations. Working with a highly skilled service teams to address and optimize treatment issues. I have learned to be a more independent operator and that has greatly increased my troubleshooting skills. Workplace culture is supportive and dedicated, Training is continuous,  Safety is up to par There are staff events at Christmas and for the Calgary stampede to keep the family feeling!

The hardest part of the Job is the changing weather conditions which is part of being a utility operator.

The most enjoyable part of the job is taking pride in a providing a clean drinking water for a community and ensuring wastewater is conveyed and treated properly. Protecting public health and the environment.

Decent Field Team: Most operators on the ground are hardworking and supportive despite the challenges.
Cons:
Poor Planning: Management often lacks a clear understanding of field reality. Work is reactive rather than proactive, leading to constant "emergencies" and wasted effort.

I work from Cochrane Office. Good team spirit with training. I can do extra hours. The place is great and I can take initiative. There are many different taks and each day is different.

Aquatech is a good place to write your water/wastewater tickets. 

Benefit package is minimal and there was no retirement benefits, like RRSP contributions.  That is why I didn't make it a career there.

Wonderful place to work, boss was great. Would recommend working for them. Understanding about having work life balance, holidays etc. Great hours and compensation. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Wastewater operator 9 salaries reported	$34.83 per hour
Excavator operator 3 salaries reported	$25.90 per hour
Plant superintendent 2 salaries reported	$33.50 per hour
Waste water operator 1 salary reported	$51.50 per hour
Laborer 1 salary reported	$35.00 per hour

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